Functional imaging refers to methodology used to image tissue function rather than anatomical structure. A variety of tissue functions can be probed, ranging from receptor binding to blood flow. In basic and clinical neuroscience, functional neuroimaging methods promise not only to provide new understanding of normal brain function, but also to improve the diagnosis and management of patients with diseases of the central nervous system. In some cases, neuroimaging techniques can directly and quantitatively measure a physiological parameter of interest, making interpretation straightforward. However, in many instances, a surrogate marker for the parameter of interest is measured, for example blood flow as a surrogate marker for task-specific functional brain activation. In such cases, alterations in the physiology of the surrogate function can modify the results obtained and their interpretation. Changes in coupling between a neurological function and its surrogate marker may vary across subjects, across brain regions, or with time. Even when surrogate systems retain normal function, behavioral performance must be considered in interpreting the results of patient studies. This talk will focus on the use of magnetic resonance neuroimaging methods for assessing brain function, and their potential applications to neurological disorders. Potential approaches to avoiding pitfalls of data interpretation or even capitalizing on potential pitfalls will be discussed.

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